i think story structure is the open secret sort of how to not just be a successful author but how to sit down at your desk every single time and write a story that works hi my name is cam weiland and i am a historical and speculative novelist who mentors other novelists i am a very analytical left brain structured scheduled person so as a writer myself you'd think i would have taken to this whole structure thing like a cat chasing a mouse but actually i didn't i was really resistant to the idea in the beginning writing
is supposed to be this airy fairy instinctive feeling that just flows out of you you mess with that and forget artistic genius so like so many other writers here i am struggling along pounding out my brains against my keyboard writing these stories that almost work but that just aren't quite there in the past i've compared writing to digging myself out of a hole i don't know what's in that hole i don't know what the next shovelful looks like but i just have to keep digging until i hopefully reach the bottom in other words most of
us are going into our stories totally blind we know there's this checklist of story must-haves that we have to include in our story to make it work strong hook in the beginning characters with pronounced arcs this balance of action and reflection and then this rising suspense until suddenly you reach the end where everything is just supposed to fall into place but i think we've all written at least one story that didn't quite work out that way and it's frustrating because you know all these story elements and you're checking them off your list but they're just
not hanging together the way they're supposed to and that is where structure comes into play first time i've heard structure explain to me point by point it was like a light bulb going off in my head i mean i was ready to get up and jump on the bed and turns almost or else and kiss the cat and all that stuff it was revolutionary for me and the thing about story structure the beauty of it is that once you understand it it is so simple the way i approach and teach structure is with a 10-step
checklist of sorts starting with the hook and ending with the resolution once you can visualize your story as these very specific building blocks you're suddenly able to understand what makes stories work you're not blind anymore you're able to approach your story from a place of knowledge which is always going to be a place of empowerment i mean even years after structure was a discovery for me i still get so excited about it i sit down on my computer every day and i am thrilled with this power i get to wield i get to be the
master of my story instead of its slave and i'm really excited to be able to get to share this discovery and this 10-step approach to classic story structure through my new book structuring your novel essential keys to writing an outstanding story my goal as a teacher and a mentor of writers is to help people find that knowledge and that empowerment so they'll be able to access the tools they need to write their own unique stories and truthfully story structure more than any other tool is the key to not just making our writing lives easier but
to unleashing the best stories we have in us [Music] you
